The Arsenal striker is his country’s first choice striker at Euro 2016 this summer as Real Madrid star Karim Benzema is missing from the side.

He has come in for stern criticism from the France fans, who have taken to booing him during international games.

He went some way to proving his detractors wrong in their opening game win over Romania on Friday as he scored the opening goal in the 2-1 win. And Evra has defended him, saying he tells the Gunners man to simply focus on his own game.

"Unfortunately, people compare him a lot to others," the Mirror quotes him saying.

"But he is there to score goals. That's what I tell him: concentrate on what you know. It's he who unblocked the match for us. We're really behind him.’”

France's Olivier Giroud celebrates after the game

It will certainly be interesting to see if Giroud can shake off the criticism being aimed at him this summer and be a star for the French side.

Sean Lunt

Sean Lunt is a Journalism and Spanish graduate with a passion for football. As an avid Everton fan he has survived the Walter Smith era, enjoyed the resurgence under David Moyes and is now wholly embracing the Spanish revolution with Roberto Martinez. Away from Everton he follows the rest of the football league and has a particular interest in La Liga.